


Warrior Cats Float Too

by Wikidclown



Category: IT - Stephen King, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Blood and Gore, Cats, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Danger, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Horror, IT - Freeform, Monster - Freeform, Omen - Freeform, Psychological Trauma, Stephen King - Freeform, Torture, Violence, coalspots, medicine cat, shineclan, swanfeather, turtlestar, warriors - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 14:19:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15775833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wikidclown/pseuds/Wikidclown
Summary: The Legend of the Stormchaser is a popular tale for all the Clans who live along the Path of Storms.  The Stormchaser follows this path, and views the omens of all the clans in the depths of the storm clouds.  But when he sees an omen that foretells an ancient evil will return to ShineClan, he must step off the Path of Storms and intervene before it's too late.





	1. Allegiances

SHINECLAN

Leader  
Turtlestar- a very fluffy white she-cat with green eyes. She has a very distinctive scent, like pine trees and a crisp mountain stream.

Deputy  
Swanfeather- a short furred white she-cat with yellow eyes. She has very long, feathery whiskers.

Medicine Cat  
Cottonstem- a soft, short furred white she-cat with green eyes. Her tail looks like a sprig of cotton.

Warriors  
Ripplenose- a tufty furred, white tom with teal colored eyes. His nose is slightly crooked.

Silverfoot- a very fluffy, long furred white she-cat with emerald eyes. Her paw pads are all a stone-like silver.

Owlflight- a medium furred white tom with orange tinted eyes. He has a long scar down his left side from an incident as a kit.  
((Apprentice: Redpaw))

Nightfang- a short furred, white tom with burgundy colored eyes. His nose and whiskers are black.

Crimsongaze- a long furred, white she-cat with bright red eyes. Her ears are tufted on the ends.  
((Apprentice: Birdpaw))

Icepelt- a spiky furred white tom with light blue eyes. His ears are large, and rounded at the tip.

Frostberry- a medium furred she-cat with golden eyes. Her nose is a bright pink.  
((Apprentice: Cloudpaw))

Flurrystorm- a very musky white tom with gray eyes. His paw pads and nose are all black, and he has particularly long canine teeth.  
((Apprentice: Stonepaw))

Creamtail- a medium furred white she-cat with green eyes. She has very light cream tabby stripes all over her body.

Clearstream- a short furred white tom with blue eyes. His tail is a little short compared to the other warriors'.  
((Apprentice: Crystalpaw))

Lightflame- a fluffy white she-cat with orange eyes. Her ears are barely tipped with orange.  
((Apprentice: Driftpaw))

Apprentices  
Redpaw- a short furred white she-cat with yellow eyes. Her nose is a dull orange color.

Birdpaw- a medium furred white she-cat with yellow eyes. The tip of her tail and her ears are covered in brown tabby markings

Cloudpaw- a fluffy, long furred white tom with bright green eyes. He has long, plumy whiskers and a fuzzy tail.

Stonepaw- a short furred white tom with gray eyes. His nose is black.

Crystalpaw- an opaque, white she-cat with striking blue eyes. Her ears are slightly rounded at the tips.

Driftpaw- a short furred white tom with yellow eyes. He has tiny flecks of gray along his spine.

Queens  
Dawnsplash- a medium furred white she-cat with light yellow eyes. She has very light cream colored spots along her pelt.

Elders  
Brightsky- a patchy furred, white she-cat with orange/yellow eyes. Her fur has started to thin near her tail and on her legs.

Vipersting- a short furred white tom with hazy green eyes. His tail is very sleek, like snake skin.

 

SLATECLAN

Leader  
Duskstar- a black and brown spotted tom with green eyes.

Deputy  
Acornspots- a white tom with green eyes. He is covered in small, brown spots.

Medicine Cat  
Lunarshadow- a very silky, short furred all black she-cat with yellow eyes. She is pretty small compared to her Clanmates.

Warriors  
Waspwing- a silver tabby tom with yellow eyes.   
((Apprentice: Peachpaw))

Burntash- a dark gray tom with bright orange eyes. He has black spots on his legs and tail.

Eaglefeather- a brown and white splotched tom with yellow eyes.  
((Apprentice: Cedarpaw))

Bluecloud- a very fluffy silver/gray she-cat with blue eyes. 

Hazewhisker- a white and black striped tom with gray eyes. His whiskers are black.

Dappledleaf- a short furred calico she-cat with dull yellow eyes.  
((Apprentice: Marshpaw))

Orangeleaf- an orange tabby she-cat with green eyes.  
((Apprentice: Foxpaw))

Littlemask- a short furred brown tom with light blue eyes. His chest, paws, and muzzle are all white.

Apprentices  
Peachpaw- a rosy orange tinted tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Cedarpaw- a skinny brown tabby tom with dark green eyes.

Marshpaw- a brown and white splotched tom with blue eyes.

Foxpaw- a solid orange she-cat with green eyes.

Queens  
Whiterose- a white and orange spotted she-cat with leafy green eyes.  
((Kits: Dewkit and Sagekit))

Elders  
Fawnspots- a white and brown spotted she-cat with light blue eyes.


	2. Prologue

A lone cry pierced the peaceful silence that had enveloped the ShineClan camp. Startled from their dozing, the warriors started to rise to their paws to look around. A half moon shone brilliantly in the gathering darkness of the night sky.

"Where's Minkpaw?!" A shockingly white queen with bright red eyes yowled near the center of camp. The other warriors turned to look in her direction.

She was standing over a massive crimson stain in the grass. The dirt was sliced through with long, sharp claws. Minkpaw's scent hung faintly in the air.

"That's another apprentice gone," one of the other white pelted warriors muttered under their breath.

"How could you say that? Minkpaw never goes off on her own!" The queen shouted, her voice raised in panic, "something must have gotten her! Why else would the ground be covered in blood?"

A very large, thick muscled white tom padded towards her. He looked down at the stain and the claw marks, even taking a moment to try and catch an unknown scent.

"Scarletpool, I don't think it was any predator who did this," the tom said slowly, "the only thing I can actually smell is you."

She flicked her tail, narrowing her eyes. "Well of course you can! I'm standing right next to you," she snapped, her voice cracking with tension.

"Minkpaw was our only apprentice remaining. With Frondpaw and Wetpaw's disappearance only a couple of sunrises ago... Perhaps we should just assume that they have run off together," he reasoned. The other warriors started to slowly nod, agreeing with what he had to say.

"But, the blood.... you can't tell me that Minkpaw really just ran away. She was all I had left, Fogstar," her voice was growing weak with defeat. Fogstar touched her side with his tail, looking down at her with his sharp yellow eyes.

"You still have us, Scarletpool. We may not be your mate or kits, but we all still care for you." Fogstar gently licked the top of her head as she finally relaxed and leaned into his fur.

The other warriors started to chime in from their positions, "yeah, we will take care of you!", "All we need is each other!", "You can always rely on us!"

Scarletpool's eyes were misted with tears. Her grief for her only kit's disappearance and joy at her clanmates' love and loyalty were sweeping over her. She felt herself starting to accept Minkpaw's mysterious departure.

"Maybe when we meet with SlateClan at the gathering, they will have seen something of Minkpaw and the others," Fogstar pointed out.

"Maybe.." Scarletpool sighed. She turned away from her leader, and the quickly fading scent of her daughter. As soon as Fogstar padded away to return to his nest, the stain of spilt blood on the grass started to sink into the dirt. In moments, it had gone without even a trace of what had happened to poor Minkpaw.


	3. Chapter One

The day had started just like any other.  Thick, toiling storm clouds stretched overhead like a bushy gray tail across the horizon.  Stormchaser raised his muzzle towards the sky, sniffing the breeze as it rushed over his whiskers.

I feel something troubling in this storm, he thought warily as he continued his trek across the barren landscape. Cool air slicked his black spotted fur against his sides, refreshing despite the humidity. 

He knew this path well, it had to easily be his sixth time passing through.  The Path of Storms usually always stuck to the same air currents, making it easy for Stormchaser to follow.

He could remember his first time setting out on the dangerous pathway, but it was easy with the elder Stormchaser at his side.  It was quite different than when he was a kit back in CloudClan.

They were one of the countless groups of cats, who lived close to the route that the storm clouds used to travel across the atmosphere.  He almost wished he could go and visit his old clanmates, but it was absolutely forbidden for the Stormchaser to leave the Path of Storms.

There were exceptions though. When it came time for Stormchaser to train an apprentice, StarClan would send him a sign and he could travel to the nearby Clans to find his successor. But other than that, Stormchaser was bound to the storm like an ivy tendril winding up the trunk of a tree. 

Even now, with the storm whirling overhead, he could hear the faint whispers of his ancestors in his ears. Each crack of thunder meant something far more menacing than any normal Clan cat could imagine. 

The lightning cut down through the air and struck the ground a mile or two away. A vision swam through his mind, making him stop.

With a new storm, new puddles form.

He could see a cave, with the faces of many cats inside.  As the storm continued to unload its rain, a puddle started to form at the entrance to the rock.  I think this means new beginnings, he thought confidently.

Looking across the landscape, he tried to see if he could spot any sign of Clan cats. I wonder which Clan it's about.

Before he had any time to think, another massive jolt of thunder shook the skies.  Stormchaser could feel his whiskers trembling with the blast.  In moments, a thick red fog started to cover his paws.

This looks bad, he thought as the fog started to rise up over his shoulders and head.  All he could see was a cloud of red, so thick he couldn't see anything in front of his nose.

"Hello!" He called, hoping that a StarClan cat may be trying to come forward to him.  But the only response was a maniacal laughing.  It was so loud, it drowned out the thunder in the distance.

Stormchaser crouched down, squeezing his eyes shut and holding his paws over his ears.  The laughing continued, getting louder and louder.

"An ancient black tide will smother the light that dares to shine in the darkness." A booming voice invaded Stormchaser's thoughts. It was such a strange, high pitched voice; it made his heart start to race.

"Smother? But none of the Clans can be smothered! That means that they'll....." Stormchaser felt something like icy claws slash at his skin, tearing his fur. 

He opened his eyes to see long, pointed teeth and bloodshot eyes. They didn't look like cat eyes.

With a yowl, Stormchaser jumped up and started to run as fast as he could. The thick cloud of red didn't seem to end. He just kept running... and running... until he finally flopped over and fell unconscious.

~~~~~~

Stomchaser opened his eyes to find that he had no idea where he was. Thick vegetation and towering oak trees surrounded him. He looked up to the sky, dismayed that the storm system was nowhere in sight.

"Oh no.." he mumbled, scrambling to his paws. He tried to remember which way he had been running, but he couldn't recall anything. Just the thick red fog that had blinded him.

What am I supposed to do, he thought wretchedly. 

"Who's there?" A hesitant voice called through the bushes. He could see the gleam of white fur through the branches.

"I'm just a little lost..." Stormchaser began. A patrol of white pelted cats appeared, surrounding him. He wondered how odd it might feel to them, seeing a cat with a black spotted pelt.

"This is ShineClan territory," a large white tom with black whiskers and nose growled as he stepped closer to Stormchaser.  

ShineClan, I wonder if the omen was about them.  "Don't worry, I'm not here to cause any trouble," he reassured them.  He tried to keep his fur flat but it was hard with the thought of long, sharp teeth sinking into his flesh.

"Well you can explain what you're doing here to our leader.  I'm sure she'd love to have a chat with you," the muscled tom grunted.

The other white cats nodded their agreement as they closed into an even tighter circle around him.  Oh great, now how am I going to get back onto the Path of Storms!


	4. Chapter Two

"But I can't go back to your camp! I have to leave!" Stormchaser gasped as the ShineClan cats started to herd him away through the forest.  

"You won't leave until you talk to Turtlestar," the tom with the black nose growled.  He could see his claws unsheathing, sinking into the dirt and grass as they continued onward.

Stormchaser gulped, inwardly wondering if these cats would cause him harm.  But I haven't done anything!

"Don't worry, Nightfang is just grumpy," a smaller white cat with yellow eyes purred cheekily.  

"Lightflame! Control your apprentice!" Nightfang snapped, flicking his tail furiously.  Stormchaser glanced down at the smaller cat, noticing that his spine was covered in tiny gray flecks.

"Driftpaw, pick up the pace," a she-cat with orange tipped ears called over her shoulder.  Driftpaw let out a tiny mrrow of frustration and sped forward.  Stormchaser watched as the white she-cat lowered her head and started to gently scold the apprentice.

This is weird, Stormchaser thought as he watched the exchange.  The patrol stopped in front of a large bramble wall, stretched between two trees. There was a tiny tunnel near the bottom, just big enough for a cat to squeeze through.

"You go in first," Nightfang insisted as he stepped aside and waved his tail for Stormchaser to enter.  The others started to push him from behind, urging him through the hole in the brambles.

"Ouch!" He yelped as a thorn pierced through his paw pad.  Inside the ShineClan camp, all Stormchaser could see were white furred cats. They were still everywhere, some with barely any color and most without any at all.

"Wow..." he breathed, right before Nightfang shoved him aside.

"You can't block the entrance," he hissed, tossing Stormchaser a dirty look as he trotted past.  He was heading towards a massive willow tree at the far end of the clearing.

He could see a hole at the base of the trunk, presumably where their leader was nesting.  The other members of the patrol scattered, becoming lost among the countless other ivory pelts dotting the clearing.

After some time, Nightfang reappeared with another cat following close behind him.  The newcomer stepped forward and bowed her head to Stormchaser.

"Welcome. This is my Clan, ShineClan. Nightfang has told me that he found you lounging on our territory," she meowed. He felt uncomfortable under her gaze.

"I... I wasn't lounging... I just got lost in the storm," he explained, hoping that she would believe him.

"Oh yes, that storm was rather intense," she agreed, "it passed right over top of our camp."

That omen had to have been about them, Stormchaser thought suddenly. The leader must have sensed his distraction, for she continued, "I am Turtlestar, leader of the Clan that shines in the darkness. May I ask what your name is?"

Her politeness shocked him, after the others had acted so peculiar on the way here. "My name? Oh, well... my name is..."

Nightfang, sitting a few paces away, growled in frustration. "Yes! Your name! Now get out with it!"

Turtlestar gave him a look through narrowed eyes but then turned her attention back to Stormchaser. "You haven't lost your memory, have you?" She asked innocently, a slight teasing tone in her voice.

"Err... no. My name is.. Coalspots," he muttered.  

"You're not a SlateClan cat, are you? I've never seen you around here before," Turtlestar asked curiously.  She leaned forward to sniff his pelt.  Stormchaser stiffened as she came close, not even daring to breathe.

"Why are you so nervous, Coalspots?  I'm sure you haven't done anything wrong," Turtlestar meowed as she sat back, her eyes darting all over his black spotted pelt.

"I just feel very... unwelcome," he mumbled.

"Of course you're unwelcome! This is our territory!" Nightfang shouted, his fur spiking along his neck.  

"Nightfang, did it sound like I asked for your opinion?" Turtlestar growled, her voice icy like shards of ice.

Nightfang flinched, his ears flattening against his head.  "Surely you shouldn't make intruders feel welcome on our land," he insisted.  Stormchaser felt bad for the tom, he hadn't wanted him to be scolded by his leader.

"I'm sure there's plenty more productive things you can be doing rather than frightening a lost warrior! Now go and see if Swanfeather has anything that needs done," she instructed.

He padded away, his tail tip twitching angrily.  "That wasn't really necessary..." Stormchaser began.

"Would you rather me tell him he can chase you back to the border? I'm sure he'd love a good game of cat and mouse," her expression was stern, almost uncaring.  Stormchaser could tell she was becoming annoyed.

"No! I just feel bad for trespassing, that's all," he blurted.  

Turtlestar nodded, "Good.  Now, you can go and sit in my den inside the willow tree. I'll be in with my deputy shortly.  We would love to hear where you come from."

Stormchaser hesitated, feeling dismayed.  How can I tell them where I come from? They can't know I'm the Stormchaser!

"Well, get going!" She chirped, nudging Stormchaser with her paw.  

He got up and padded towards her den.  He could feel the eyes of the ShineClan cats like claws in his pelt as he made his way into the tree.  

Am I ever going to make it out of this place, he thought desperately.


	5. Chapter Three

The inside of the willow tree was surprisingly spacious. Stormchaser shuffled his paws nervously as he waited for Turtlestar and her deputy to appear. Whispers, harsher than bee stings floated into the den; just barely loud enough for him to hear.

"That cat is trouble! We should chase him out!"

"Colored cats don't belong on ShineClan territory!"

He gulped, feeling their hostility like hot claws across his muzzle. But I'm not here to hurt you! He wished there was someway to make them understand. 

Suddenly, the whispers ceased.  Turtlestar was pushing her way into the den, a similar looking white she-cat following close behind.

"Swanfeather, this is Coalspots.  He was found, lost on our territory," Turtlestar introduced him.  She narrowed her viridian eyes, perhaps hoping for Stormchaser to say something.

Swanfeather twitched her luxuriously long whiskers and giggled softly.  "So you're what has Nightfang's tail in a knot! I would have sworn he had found a SlateClan cat slinking around our forest."

Stormchaser's shoulders sagged, Swanfeather's lofty tone was calming after the stinging words he had overheard.  "You seem tense.  Was there something out there chasing you?" Turtlestar asked seriously.

He thought back to the omen, remembering the long, pointed teeth.  With a shudder, he nodded, "I had seen something out there... I'm not sure if it was real or just my imagination."

Swanfeather's plumy tail thumped the earth beside her.  She eagerly leaned forward, "what did you see?" She goaded him.

"It.... It was something not of these lands... it wasn't a fox, or a badger..." he tried to collect his thoughts but it was hard when the memory was already so fleeting.

"This is serious," Swanfeather murmured, turning her sharp yellow eyes to Turtlestar.

"Yes, this is indeed serious," she agreed.  She bent down closer to Stormchaser, her tail tip twitching.  "And what you say is true?  You really saw some sort of beast out there?"

"Yes.  It was truly terrible," he meowed softly.  

Turtlestar dipped her head to him, "thank you for telling us this.  We had some suspicion that some sort of evil would be headed our way," she meowed.  Her words were mysterious, giving no clue as to what she was trying to say.

Their medicine cat must have received the omen!  They know that darkness is coming to wipe them out!

Stormchaser's fur spiked along his spine.  Turtlestar must have noticed, for she took a step back from his side.  "Don't be afraid!  ShineClan are strong, you will be safe here with us."

"What do you mean?" He asked, "surely I can go home, can't I?"

Turtlestar shook her head, "I don't think you wandering out into the forest by yourself is the best idea," she admitted.  Stormchaser dug his claws into the dirt, slowly starting to panic.

"But I can't stay..." he began to say, but a sudden commotion broke out in the camp.  Turtlestar's ears twitched and she quickly turned and bounded out of the den.  Swanfeather was quick to follow, her tail whipping behind her as she departed.

Stormchaser was last to exit the den, not sure if he should be intruding in what was happening.  A patrol had returned, but something was definitely wrong.

"What happened to Swirlpaw!" Turtlestar demanded as she confronted the patrol. They all looked stricken, clearly in distress.

One of the patrol members, a long furred white she-cat, came forward to answer her leader.  "We were patrolling near the border, when she got separated from the patrol!  We went back to look for her.  We even found her scent near some abandoned burrows but we couldn't find her!"

"Was there any signs of a struggle?" Swanfeather asked.  The she-cat shook her head, her whiskers dropping sadly.

"No, it almost seems like she wandered away of her own free will," the she-cat meowed.

Turtlestar waved her tail, signaling for her clan to gather around her.  The warriors and apprentices gathered in a tight ring around Turtlestar, looking like a sea of white amid the rich greens and browns of the forest.

"I will lead a patrol to the burrows to try and find any other traces of where Swirlpaw may have went," she meowed loudly over the heads of her clanmates.

She turned to the she-cat from the patrol, "Silverfoot, I will need you to show me where you last saw her," she meowed.

The she-cat nodded, her eyes shining with worry for the missing apprentice.  Stormchaser watched the clan cats as Turtlestar quickly named the other warriors that would accompany her to the burrows.

I wonder how they find it so easy to recognize each other.  Everyone looks the same to me, he wondered to himself.  It seemed like everyone knew exactly how to tell each other apart.

As he was watching, he hadn't noticed Turtlestar calling over to him.  "Coalspots!  Coalspots, come here!" She yowled.

Jumping up, he ran over to her side.  As he came closer, Turtlestar once again introduced him to even more ShineClan cats.  "This is the cat I was telling you about.  He saw something out in the forest before Nightfang brought him back to camp.  He might be able to help us, if this creature has taken Swirlpaw."

Stormchaser's eyes widened in dismay,  how am I supposed to help!  I don't know anything about this evil beast!

Once again, he allowed himself to be herded along as the patrol started to leave the camp.  The clan cats' white pelts surrounded him as they padded out into the forest.  Oh StarClan, just let Swirlpaw be found safe and unharmed!


	6. Chapter Four

Stormchaser tried to keep up as the patrol drove steadily onward.  He could feel the clan cats' anxiety surrounding him, making it hard for him to stay calm.

"We are almost there!" Silverfoot called out to the patrol.  She surged ahead of Turtlestar at the front of the patrol and came to stand beside a leafy berry bush.

The others quickly hurried after her and came to stop beside the bush.  "This is where we last saw her," Silverfoot informed them.  Stormchaser took a deep breath, picking up a faint scent that he could only assume was Swirlpaw's.

"Her trail leads around the bush," one of the other warriors mewed as he started to sniff the grass around the roots.  Turtlestar also started to sniff along the ground, trying to discern which way the apprentice had gone.

"Swirlpaw!  Swirlpaw, where are you!"  Silverfoot called, her voice cracking with distress.

The other warriors went to work trying to track Swirlpaw, while Stormchaser sat idly by.  He wasn't sure what good he could do, with four other cats already scouring the area.  He took a step towards the berry bush, noticing the ripe and juicy blueberries that clung to its branches.

He narrowed his eyes, peering past the leafy tendrils.  "I... I see something under here," he called out hesitantly.

Instantly, Turtlestar appeared at his side.  Without even taking a moment to breathe, she pushed her way into the small bush.  "There's a rabbit burrow under here," she reported, "and there's claw marks all around the brim."

Silverfoot let out a wail, her eyes bulging in their sockets.  "Something must have drug Swirlpaw down there!" She sobbed.

"I'm sure she's alright," Stormchaser tried to reassure her, but she only shot him a dirty look.  

"Alright, well, I don't smell any predators that may have claimed this den.  She might have just went down there, being a bit curious," Turtlestar meowed to the warriors gathered around her.

"Yes, apprentices are always getting themselves into predicaments," a she-cat named Frostberry meowed in agreement.

"I'll go down, and see if I can find her," Turtlestar meowed slowly.  Stormchaser wanted to stop her, he knew that nothing innocent could have happened to Swirlpaw.

"I'll come with you," he surprised himself by meowing after a slight pause.  The other warriors looked at him, seemingly impressed.

Turtlestar purred, her gaze warm as she turned to him.  "I appreciate that, Coalspots.  Just be careful, and stay close behind me."

Without another moment to spare, she disappeared into the depths of the bush and down the abandoned burrow.  Silverfoot and Frostberry whispered a good luck while the other two warriors watched in a stunned silence as Stormchaser followed Turtlestar down the hole.

Instantly, the world went dark around him.  He could feel earth pressing in on all sides, making him claustrophobic.  His breath started to come in panicked gulps.

"I'm still here Coalspots, don't be afraid," Turtlestar meowed from somewhere ahead of him.  Her voice sounded like it was spiraling down a vast tunnel, thousands of rabbit hops ahead of him.

"Turtlestar, I can't find Swirlpaw's scent anymore," he called as he took a tentative sniff at the damp air.  

"That's because Swirlpaw isn't here," a new voice whined from somewhere in the tunnel.  Stormchaser's pelt crawled, this voice sounded almost too familiar.  "Turtlestar can't save you down here..."

He jumped as something sharp whipped across his foreleg, slicing open his skin.  His head smacked against the roof of the burrow, making his vision dim.

As soon as he gained his footing, something large slammed into his side.  All the breath was knocked from his lungs as he was crushed against the side of the tunnel.  He tried to inhale, but the rank scent of badger and fox overwhelmed him.

He tried to call out to Turtlestar, but it was hopeless. Stormchaser could faintly hear the sound of that same maniacal cackling that he head before he ran onto ShineClan territory.  

The weight suddenly disappeared from his side, leaving him to slump onto the earth of the burrow below his paws.  His heard started to whirl as he was plunged into unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~

He awoke somewhere unfamiliar.  The scents of ShineClan were still strong in the air, telling him he was back in their camp.  He looked around the empty den, wondering how he had gotten back safely.

His foreleg stung like fire, reminding him of what had happened before he had passed out.  Urgency washed over him as he remembered Turtlestar.

A blur of white shifted at the edge of his vision. Turning, he noticed yet another white pelted cat. She was turned away from him, seeming to be tidying up stores of dried leaves and berries at the back of the space.

"Where am I?" Stormchaser asked bravely.

The she-cat turned to him, her fluffy tail swishing around over her paws.  Her whiskers twitched as she replied, "so demanding!  Well, this is the ShineClan medicine den."

He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the cat in front of him.  "So you're the medicine cat," he echoed, seemingly lost for words.

"Yes, my name is Cottonstem.  I must say that I am glad to have met you at last," she purred, her eyes shining.

"What do you mean?" He asked seriously.  Surely she doesn't know I'm the Stormchaser? He thought assuredly.

"I had a dream with StarClan only a few nights ago. They told me a darkness would come to cover the light, but that wasn't all that they had told me..." her voice trailed off as she started to stare into the back of the den.  Stormchaser wasn't sure if he should interrupt her trance like state.

"I just know that I am greatful that you're here," she meowed at last, a purr escaping her parted jaws.

"Well... thanks..." he meowed reluctantly.  She went back to what she was doing, sorting her herbs in the back of the den.

He could feel his heart beat thrumming in his chest.  She can't tell them I'm the Stormchaser!  I'm not even supposed to be off the Path of Storms!

"Is Turtlestar ok," he asked shakily, trying to change the subject.

"Oh yes, she's just resting in her den," Cottonstem assured him, "and that's what you should be doing as well."

Stormchaser grunted but closed his eyes, resting his head on his paws.  If Turtlestar is ok, that's all that matters, he thought as he started to drift into a light slumber.


End file.
